Producer
Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney's Pirates
of the Caribbean
franchise continues with star Johnny Depp as one of pop culture's
most popular characters, Jack Sparrow. This is the fifth installment
in the series and is a vast improvement over the other sequels in the
franchise, with the first (2003's mega-hit The
Curse of the Black Pearl)
still being the best. Mr. Depp is joined by Javier Bardem (No
Country for Old Men),
Kiera Knightley, Orlando Bloom, a cameo by Sir. Paul McCartney and of
course, Geoffrey Rush (Shine)
along with a huge cast of fresh and familiar faces.

Director
Gore Verbinski (The
Ring,
The
Lone Ranger
remake) stepped away from the franchise after his overblown and too
complicated follow-ups Dead
Man's Chest
(2006) and At
World's End
(2007), both of which have some fun characters and ideas, but a plot
that's way too complex for its own good. On
Stranger Tides
(2011), which was directed by Rob Marshall, wasn't all bad but not
necessarily memorable either.

This
installment, directed by Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg (Kon
Tiki)
is more of the same material, incorporating some of the more popular
characters that have appeared in previous installments, a lot of
goofy Jack Sparrow jokes involving his alcoholism and bad flirting
skills, and more expensive and great looking digital effects and
matte paintings.

Thrust
into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Captain Jack Sparrow
(Depp) once again comes in contact with deadly ghost pirates led by
another old nemesis, the terrifying Captain Salazar (Bardem), who has
escaped from the Devil's Triangle. Salazar's sinister plan is to get
revenge of Sparrow for leading him into the Triangle in the first
place as a youth and is now hellbent on wiping out every Pirate he
can. Joined by Captain Barbosa (Rush) and his team of scummy yet
charming Pirates, Captain Jack's only hope of survival lies in
seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact
that bestows upon its possessor total control over the seas. Joined
by the son of Will and Elizabeth Turner (Bloom and Knightley), the
swashbuckling tentpole is sure to make you crave buttery popcorn and
a soda.

Disney
is new to the 4K UHD game and this disc is a great example of how
good this new format can look. Presented in 2160p on 4K Ultra HD
disc and a widescreen presentation of 2:40.1 and a great sounding
Dolby Atmos 11.1 track (along with an English Dolby True HD 7.1 core
mix for older home theater systems), the demo disc worthy release is
up to the format's high standards. Generated from the film's
original 4K source, there's magnificent detail in the film's exotic
locations. Also included is a 1080p Blu-ray copy with the same sound
specs, yet is lacking when compared to the 4K UHD. A digital copy is
also included.

The
film's score is an incorporation of Hans Zimmer's recognizable
themes, yet is composed by Geoff Zanelli and is overall pretty solid.
I'm sure average viewers will probably not notice that the score has
changed hands over the years, but one of things the franchise has
been good with is consistency between films.

SPECIAL
FEATURES...

Dead
Men Tell More Tales: The Making of a New Adventure
- Get unique access into the making of this exciting new "Pirates
of the Caribbean"
movie with this collection of revealing and entertaining stories that
you can view individually or as a "play all."

A
Return to the Sea
- Two talented filmmakers, Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, team
up to bring "Pirates
of the Caribbean"
back to the screen. Hear how this new chapter of the tale was
developed.

Telling
Tales: A Sit-down with Brenton & Kaya
- Meet Brenton Thwaites and Kaya Scodelario, the young actors behind
Henry and Carina. The two sit down together for a revealing
conversation on becoming a part of the "Pirates
of the Caribbean"
film franchise and its continuing legacy.

The
Matador & The Bull: Secrets of Salazar & The Silent Mary
- Oscar-winner Javier Bardem reveals more about his menacing new
character and the foreboding ship he helms.

First
Mate Confidential
- Go on-set along with Kevin McNally, the affable actor behind the
feisty Mr. Gibbs, Captain Jack's reliable first mate from all five
movies.

Deconstructing
the Ghost Sharks
- Peer below the depths at how these ferocious, mythical monsters
were designed and brought to life.

An
Enduring Legacy
- Take one more look at the "Pirates
of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales"
experience and the impact of "Pirates
of the Caribbean"
- the movies, the ride and beyond.

Bloopers
of the Caribbean

Jerry
Bruckheimer Photo Diary

Deleted
Scenes

Highwayman

Henry
Turner Learns a Lesson from Captain Jack

A
Whale in Poseidon's Tomb

Alternate
Coda: Murtogg & Mullroy "Flogging"

Dead
Men Tell No Tales
isn't the worst entry in the franchise, but a sign of the series
perhaps slowing down a bit. Considering the cost of what it must
produce to make a film of this magnitude and despite personal
controversies, Disney still has a lot of stock in Johnny Depp.
Whether this will be the last film in this series is unclear at the
time of this review, but an inevitable reboot is bound to happen
eventually.